Parents nowadays are extra conscious about what to feed to their children. Several questions are constantly bugging the parents. “Are we feeding our children with the right amount of nutrients?”, “Is too much dairy good for their system?”, and many more. Surprisingly, the answer to all these questions is only a simple guide that you have to follow! You only have to follow the Eatwell plate for kids guideline. Following this guideline for your children will help them to get the right amount of food.
But first, you need to know what exactly does Eatwell plate for kids mean?
It is divided into five food sections/groups. The five sections together make a healthy and nutritious diet. This guide will instruct you on what food you should consume. Moreover, the number of proportions to intake to achieve a balanced and healthy diet.
Table of Contents
What are the 5 sections of Eatwell Plate for kids?
- Fruits and Vegetables
- Carbohydrates
- Proteins
- Diary and other alternatives
- Oil and Fats
There are a lot of parents who have fussy children. They don’t Like having their food. Most of the time it is their face and clothes having more food nutrients than their stomach! Children who intake very little food are getting fewer nutrients into their system. That’s why it is your job as a parent to ensure that they are getting the best out of the small amount they are eating. To ensure that, you can take help from the guideline that we have prepared for you. This will help you to know which food is good for your child and which is not.
Every parent should introduce the Eatwell plate for kids guideline to their children. That’s because starting from the age of 3 to 10 is the only period when you can control your child’s diet.
Statistics show the diet of children from a certain age group. It shows children consume more fast food calories than other healthier food options. Children from the age of 12-19 consume more calories from fast food than children aged 2-11 years. That’s why you need to take control of your child’s diet when you can. From the age of 2-11 is the time when your child’s brain, bones and muscles grow healthier, stronger and sharper. A parent should have a clear and in-depth knowledge of all kinds of food before feeding their child. You should know the importance of protein, carbohydrates, vegetables and many more.
Now that we have some idea about what an Eatwell plate is, let’s find out how it looks like.
Nutrition and Hydration
This Course is designed to provide learners with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals of a balanced, healthy lifestyle, the effects of malnutrition and the importance of a well-hydrated body.
Nutrition and Hydration
This Course is designed to provide learners with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals of a balanced, healthy lifestyle, the effects of malnutrition and the importance of a well-hydrated body.
Eatwell Plate for Kids: A Brief Introduction
This diagram explains the amount of food your child should consume. Moreover, it also shows how your child can have a healthy diet. In the diagram, it shows to have equal parts of carbohydrates and fruits and vegetables. Twelve percent of proteins, fifteen percent of dairy products and seven per cent of fat, oil, sugar and salt. There are plenty of parents out there who have kids, complaining about their meal. To make them stop complaining include different varieties of food. Don’t feed them carbohydrates alone, add some protein with it. Remember that you have to provide your children with a healthy and balanced diet. And to ensure that you have to mix and match. Make the meal different and interesting every day, that way your fussy kid won’t be complaining so often!
The Eatwell Plate for kids have five sections, let’s see what does the five sections say:
The 5 Sections of Eatwell Plate for Kids
1. Fruits and Vegetable
Having fruits and vegetables for kids should be as important as drinking water every day. You have to make sure that your child is having fruits and vegetables the most. If your kid does not fancy having an apple or an orange then make a juice out of it. That will be a much easier and quicker way of making your child consume it. Your child should always stay hydrated, they should always drink water. As fruits contain a lot of water it, it’s another great way to keep your child hydrated.
Remember that you shouldn’t feed store-bought juice to your child too much. That’s because they contain high amounts of sugar which are not so great for your child’s health. Fruits and vegetables contain plenty of minerals and vitamins. A child’s body requires minerals and vitamins. Moreover, it will help your children to have healthier muscles, skins and eyes. Your child will also have a healthier immune response.
You can try feeding your child with different fruits. Such as apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, strawberries, blueberries and many more. You can also feed them broccoli, green beans, tomatoes, potatoes and many more. Try to feed your child home-made food. Avoid store-bought foods, especially fast foods.
2. Carbohydrates
Children should eat equal amounts of fruits, vegetables and carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are also important like fruits and vegetables.
Take a minute and think about carbohydrates. I am sure immediately you are visioning a plate full of pasta, rice or cheesy baked potatoes! And you are correct! And believe it or not, your child might even be happy while eating these foods. But other healthier food options also contain carbohydrates. You can feed your child bread, cereals, and porridge. They are a healthier option. You can also feed them pasta, rice and potatoes. But make sure you do that once or twice a week.
Children need to intake carbohydrates more often. When you eat carbohydrates they break down into sugars. And later they circulate through the bloodstream which is used for energy by the body cells. Carbohydrates are a vital part of the Eatwell plate. A child’s body uses carbohydrates to stay active throughout the day. Kids nowadays always like to keep themselves engaged with some sort of activity. And that’s why you have to feed your children enough carbohydrates. That’s because they will have enough energy to use throughout the day.
3. Proteins
Children need proteins in their body to have growth in their muscles, bones and organs. Protein is also very important for a child’s growth and development. The right amount of intake every day will help your child in the long run. Starting from the age of 2-11 a child’s muscles and the brain starts to develop. That’s why try and feed your child as much as protein you can at that period.
Try feeding your child eggs, meat, peanut butter, nuts, soy yoghurt, soy milk and many more. These are healthier options for protein consumption.
Make your child’s food interesting, if they keep on resisting his/her food. Make burgers out of chicken meat or make sandwiches and serve it with tomato ketchup. Children won’t say no to their meal if they get introduced to interesting menus every day!
4. Dairy and other alternatives
We will recommend not to feed dairy products, that is, too many chocolates to your child. Most dairy products contain high levels of sugar, which can be very bad for your child’s body. It can lead to very dangerous diseases like obesity and diabetes.
In statistics, it says, in the year 2019, 38 million children under the age of 5 were either obese or overweight. But, obesity can be prevented by consuming less fat and dairy products. Dairy products are good for your child only if they consume a small amount of it.
Dairy products like milk, cheese contain high levels of calcium, vitamin-D and potassium. It is very good for children. It will help your child to have stronger bones and healthier muscles.
5. Oil/Butter and Fats
The ratio for this particular section is less. It means that children should consume these in a smaller amount. That’s because too much of Oil/butter and fats will also lead your child to obesity.
Yet, you can choose a healthier option, like olive oil. Olive oil will protect your kid’s intestine and reduce acidity. It will also give your child the relief from the discomfort of constipation. It will also improve bowel movements.
Consuming a certain level of oil will give you several benefits. But make sure your child gets a limited amount of it.
Now, we know everything about the Eatwell plate for kids. Starting from what type of food your child should consume and what not. It’s time you should know why your children should follow this guideline. And why it is important for your child.
Why should children follow the Eatwell plate for kids guideline?
- Your child should follow the guideline from their childhood. Because when they will be an adult, it will become a routine for them. They will more likely prefer to continue having healthy meals all the time.
- Children should stay active and maintain the proper guideline. Because doing that will help them to have better sleep and a fresh mind. They will always be very cheerful and will have higher energy levels.
- If your child maintains a proper and healthy diet then his/her immune system will be very strong.
- Children maintaining guideline will stay mentally and physically active. It means there will be fewer chances of them missing school.
There are plenty of parents out there who are facing problems to feed their fussy children. Children are either bored or annoyed about having the same type of meal every single day. Why not make eating interesting to the kids who always complain about it? There are various ways on how you can do that. Some important ones are mentioned below, do give it a read!
Steps to motivate your child to follow the Eatwell Plate guideline
- Your plate should look and taste great. It should look aesthetically pleasing for your child to have it. For a child, if you want the plate to look interesting then you can include different colours in it. How about rainbow colours? Think about all the different colours that you can include in the plate. Your kid will be happy and excited as well.
- Act as a role model for your child. If your children watch you that you are following their steps they will respect you for that. Moreover, they will also get motivated by you. Let them know that you also want this with them.
- Sometimes you have to let your child make their decisions. You have to involve them in the decision-making process. Make them choose their ingredients, involve them in the kitchen. This will make them very happy.
- Take your child to ingredient shopping. Let them choose their ingredients and decide on what meals to make. Appreciate their journey towards a healthy life and always encourage them.
Nutrition and Hydration
This Course is designed to provide learners with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals of a balanced, healthy lifestyle, the effects of malnutrition and the importance of a well-hydrated body.
Nutrition and Hydration
This Course is designed to provide learners with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals of a balanced, healthy lifestyle, the effects of malnutrition and the importance of a well-hydrated body.
Closing Note
The Eatwell plate for kids guideline is not only for the children who complain about the food. It is for every type of child out there. This guideline will help your kid to grow healthier and stronger. An important note to every parent out there. If you want to know more about food nutrition and hydration then click the link below to join the course!
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